Cornell’s Foods

By Lisa Yako

For Grant Cornell, the grocery business is part of his heritage.  The Cornell family has operated grocery stores since 1932.  The earliest store was located in Plymouth, Ohio, and a subsequent store was later opened in Shelby, Ohio.  After working in the family store for many years, Grant transitioned into a job in the wholesaling business in 1996.  Interestingly, the former IGA store in Huron was one of Grant’s clients.

Grant was well-acquainted with Huron since the Cornell family had owned a summer home here since around 1960.  In 2006, Grant had the opportunity to purchase the Huron IGA, and in December of 2006, Cornell’s Foods officially opened for business.

Since opening, Grant has been continuously improving the store and reassessing the products he carries.  Grant strives to provide Huron with a clean and organized store.  He has updated the store in a variety of ways including new dairy, meat, and frozen food cases and a new kitchen.  Also, Grant added a dollar section at the front of the store which contains a myriad of items such as food, cleaning supplies, and drinks.  Cornell’s has truly made a name for itself by providing quality products.  Grant is especially proud of the store’s meat department which carries high-quality meats, including Gerber chicken, the produce department which is always fresh and well-stocked, and the store’s own roasted coffee beans.  Though Cornell’s inherited the large coffee roaster when the store was purchased, Grant enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to promote this branch of the business.  Grant decided to name the coffee Northcoast Coffee, and he redesigned the label to include an image of the Huron Lighthouse.  The coffee is roasted in the store once per month, and there are about 40 flavors from which to choose.  Despite all of the first-rate products the store carries, Grant views his friendly employees as one of his biggest assets.

Cornell’s carries a wide variety of locally-produced products, as well as national brands.  One of the newest products that the store has added is Hartzler milk which is produced in Wooster, Ohio.  Hartzler milk is unique in that their cows, which are not given any artificial hormones, graze on pesticide-free grass.  In addition, the milk is not homogenized and undergoes a low-temperature pasteurization process so the beneficial enzymes in the milk stay intact.  Interestingly, Hartzler milk is bottled in reusable glass bottles.  Other local products include, but are not limited to, honey from Clyde, Ohio, and Orlando breads from Cleveland.

Grant has truly tried to capture the essence of Huron and its location on the shores of Lake Erie in the décor of the store.  Historic photos of Huron can be seen gracing the walls throughout the store.  Make sure to look up to see all of these great photos.  In addition, Grant has amassed quite a collection of old water skis and other nautical memorabilia.  Though winter business is usually down by 30%, Cornell’s continuously provides Huron with great choices and a locally-owned alternative to the large stores in Sandusky.  Keep up the good work!